of love; faith and love are the spiritual sacrifices." things: Spiritual 1. Fixedness of mind. Then two poles on which all religion izing duty consists in three turns, Cant. i. 4., "The upright love thee." True love is to love! God out of choice; love turns the soul into a seraphim; it makes it burn in a flame of affec- 1. Fixedness of mind. tion; love is the truest touch- we spiritualize duty, when our stone of sincerity; love is the minds are fixed on God, I Cor. queen of the graces, it commands vii. 35., "That you may attend the whole soul, 2 Cor. v. 4. If on the Lord without distraction." our love to God be genuine and Though impertinent thoughts real; we let him have the supre- sometimes come into the heart in macy; we set him in the highest duty, yet they are not allowed, room of our soul; we give him Ps. cxix. 13.; they come as unthe purest of our love, Cant. viii. welcome guests, which are no 2., “I would cause thee to drink sooner spied but they are turned of spiced wine, of the juice of my out. pomegranate." If the spouse had 2. Fervency of devotion. Rom. any thing better than another,- xii. 11., "Fervent in spirit, a cup more juicy and spiced, serving the Lord." "Tis a metaChrist should drink of that; we phor alludes to water that seethes give the creature the milk of our and boils over; so the affections love, but God the cream. In boil over, the eyes melt in tears, short, if we love God aright, we the heart flows in holy ejaculalove his laws; we love his pic- tions. We not only bring our ture drawn in the saints by the offering to God, but our hearts. pencil of the Holy Ghost; we 3. Uprightness of aim. love his presence in his ordinances. Sleidan saith, that the protestants in France had a church which they called paradise; as if they thought themselves in paradise while they had God's presence in his sanctuary. The soul that loves God, loves his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. It will be a glorious appearing to the saints, when their union with Christ shall be complete, then their joy shall be full. The bride longs for the marriage-day. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come: even so come, Lord Jesus," Rev. xxii. 17. By this sacred love we may know the kingdom of God is within us. 3d. We may know the kingdom of grace is come into our hearts by spiritualizing the duties of religion, 1 Pet. ii. 5., " Ye are an holy priesthood to offer up An heart that is upright hath three ends in duty: 1. That he may grow more like God. As Moses on the mount had some of God's glory reflected on him, "his face shined." 2. That he may have more communion with God, 1 John i. 3., "Our fellowship is with the Father." 3. That he may bring more glory to God, 1 Pet. iv. 11. Phil. i. 20., "That Christ shall be magnified." Sincerity aims at God in all; though we shoot short, yet we take a right aim; this is a sure evidence of grace, the spiritualizing duty. The spirits of wine are best, so is the spiritual part of duty. A little spiritualness in duty is better than all the gildings of the temple, or outward pompous worship, which doth so dazzle carnal eyes. 4th. We may know the king dom of grace is come into us, by antipathy and opposition to every known sin, Ps. cxix. 104., " I hate every false way." Hatred is against the whole kind; hatred is implacable; anger may be reconciled, hatred cannot. A gracious soul not only forsakes sin (as a man forsakes his country never to return to it more), but hates sin. As there is an antipathy between the crocodile and the scorpion, so if the kingdom of God be within us, we not only hate sin for hell, but we hate it as hell, as being contrary to God's holiness and our happiness. of God-he will do what God will have him do-he will be what God will have him be-he puts a blank paper into God's hand, and saith, "Lord, write what thou wilt, I will subscribe." Blessed is he that can find all these things in his soul, he "is all glorious within," Ps. xlv. 13. He carries a kingdom about him; this kingdom of grace will certainly bring to a kingdom of glory. I shall answer some doubts and objections, that a Christian may make against himself. OBJ. I fear the kingdom of grace is not yet come into my heart. Ans. When a Christian is under temptation, or grace lies dormant, he is not fit to be his own 5th. We may, know the kingdom of grace is come into us, when we have given up ourselves to God by obedience; as a servant gives up himself to his mas-judge; but in this case he must ter, as a wife gives up herself to take the witness of others, who her husband, so we give our- have the spirit of discerning. But selves up to God by obedience. let us hear a Christian's objections And this obedience is, 1st, Free; against himself, why he thinks as that is the sweetest honey the kingdom of grace is not yet which drops from the comb. 2d. come into his heart. Uniform; we obey God in one OBJ. 1. I cannot discern grace. thing as well as another, Ps. cxix. Ans. A child of God may have 6., Then shall I not be asham- the kingdom of grace in his heart, ed;" or, as it is in the Hebrew, yet not know it. The cup was "I shall not blush when I have in Benjamin's sack, though he did respect to all thy commandments." not know it was there: thou A good Christian is like a pair of mayest have faith in thy heart, compasses: one foot of the com- the cup may be in thy sack, passes stands upon the centre, though thou knowest it not. Old and the other foot of it goes round Jacob wept for his son Joseph, the circle; so a Christian by when Joseph was alive; thou faith stands on God the centre, mayest weep for want of grace, and by obedience goes round the when grace may be alive in thy circle of God's commandments; heart. The seed may be in the a sign the kingdom of grace is not ground, when we do not see it come into the heart, when it doth spring up; the seed of God may not reign there by universal obe- be sown in thy heart, though thou dience. Hypocrites would have dost not perceive the springing Christ to be their Saviour; but of it up. Think not grace is lost, they pluck the government from because it is hid. his shoulders, they will not have OBJ. 2. Before the kingdom of him rule; but he who hath the grace come into the heart, there kingdom of God within him sub-must be some preparation for it; mits cheerfully to every command the fallow ground of the heart must be broken up; I fear the plough of the law hath not gone deep enough, I have not been humbled enough, therefore I have no grace. 1. Weak grace will give us a title to Christ, as well as strong. A weak hand of faith will receive the alms of Christ's merits. 2. Weak faith is capable of Ans. God doth not prescribe a growth. The seed springs up by just proportion of sorrow and degrees, first the blade, and then humiliation; the scripture men- the ear, and then the full corn in tions the truth of sorrow, but not the ear; the faith that is strongest the measure. Some are more was once in its infancy. Grace flagitious sinners than others, is like the waters of the sanctuary, these must have a greater degree which did rise higher and higher; of humiliation. A knotty piece be not discouraged at thy weak of timber requires more wedges faith, though it be but blossomto be driven into it. Some sto-ing, it will by degrees come to machs are fouler than others, more maturity. therefore need stronger physic. 3. The weakest grace shall But wouldest thou know when persevere, as well as the strongest. thou hast been humbled enough| A sucking child was as safe in the for sin? When thou art willing ark as Noah. An infant believer, that is but newly laid to the breast of the promise, is as safe in Christ as the most eminent heroic saint. to let go thy sins. Then the gold hath lain long enough in the furnace when the dross is purged out; so, when the love of sin is purged out, a soul is humbled OBJ. 4. I fear the kingdom of enough to divine acceptation, grace is not yet come, because I though not to divine satisfaction. find the kingdom of sin so strong Now, if thou art humbled in me. Had I faith, it would enough (though not so much as purify my heart; but I find much others), what needs more? Frus- pride, worldliness, passion. tra sit per plura, &c. If a needle will let out the imposthume, what needs a lance? Be not more cruel to thyself than God would have thee. Ans. The best of the saints have remainders of corruption, Dan. vii. 12., "They had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season." OBJ. 3. If the kingdom of God So in the regenerate, though the were within me, it would be a dominion of sin be taken away, kingdom of power; it would ena-yet the life of it is prolonged for ble me to serve God with vigour a season. What pride was there of soul; but I have a spirit of in Christ's own disciples, when infirmity upon me, I am weak and they strove which should be the impotent, and untuned to every holy action. Ans. There is a great difference between the weakness of grace and the want of grace: a man may have life, though he be sick and weak. Weak grace is not to be despised, but cherished; Christ will not break the bruised reed. Do not argue from the weakness of grace to the nullity. greatest! The issue of sin will not be stopped till death. The Lord is pleased to let the in-being of sin continue, to humble his people, and make them prize Christ the more; but because you find corruptions stirring, do not therefore presently unsaint yourselves, and deny the kingdom of grace to be come into your souls. That you feel sin is an evidence of spiritual life; that you mourn | gold, abide, so doth an holy complexion; the soul is still pointing towards God. If it be thus with thee, assure thyself the kingdom of grace is come into the soul; be not unkind to God, to deny any work of his Spirit which he hath wrought in thee. La for sin-what are these tears but fruits of love to God? that you have a combat with sin, argues antipathy against it. Those sins which you did once wear as a crown on your head, are now as fetters on the leg; is not all this from the Spirit of grace in you ? Use 1st. Of exhortation. Sin is in you, as poison in the bour to find that this kingdom of body, which you are sick of, and grace is set up in your hearts; use all scripture antidotes to ex- while others aspire after earthly pel. Should we condemn all kingdoms, labour to have the those who have the in-dwelling kingdom of God within you, of sin, nay, who have had sin-Luke xvii. 21. The kingdom of at sometimes-prevailing, we grace must come into us, before should blot some of the best saints we can go into the kingdom of out of the Bible. glory. Motives. OBJ. 5. Where the kingdom of grace comes, it softens the heart; but I find my heart frozen and congealed into hardness; I can hardly squeeze out one tear. Do flowers grow on a rock ? Can there be any grace in such a rocky heart? Ans. There may be grief where there are no tears; the best sorrow is rational. In your judgment you esteem sin the most hyperbolical evil—you have a disgust and | displacency against sin-this is a rational sorrow, and such as God will accept. A Christian may have some hardness in his heart, yet not have a hard heart; a field may have tares in it, yet we call it a field of wheat; in the best heart is a mixture of hardness, yet because there is some softness and melting, God looks upon it as a soft heart; therefore, Christian, dispute not against thyself, if thou canst find but one thing, that the frame and temper of thy soul be holy. Art thou still breathing after God, delighting in him? Is the complexion of thy soul heavenly? Canst thou say, as David, Ps. cxxxix. 18., " When I awake, I am still with thee." As colours laid in oil, or a statue carved in 1st Motive. This kingdom of God within us is our spiritual beauty; the kingdom of grace adorns a person, and sets him off in the eyes of God and angels. This makes the king's daughter all glorious within, Ps. xlv. 13. Grace sheds a glory and lustre upon the soul. As the diamond to the ring, so is grace to the soul. An heart beautified with grace hath the king of heaven's picture hung in it. 6 2d Motive. The kingdom of grace set up in the heart is our spiritual defence. Grace is called the armour of light,' Rom. xiii. 12. It is light for beauty, and armour for defence. He who hath the kingdom of grace within him, is "strengthened with all might according to God's glorious power," Col. i. 11. ; he hath the shield of faith, the helmet of hope, the breast-plate of righteousness; this armour can never be shot through; it fortifies a Christian against the assaults of temptation, and the terrors of hell. 3d Motive. The kingdom of grace set up in the heart brings peace with it, Rom. xiv. 17., "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace." There is a secret peace breeds out of holiness. Peace is the best blessing of a kingdom: Pax una triumphis innumeris melior. The kingdom of grace is a kingdom of peace; grace is the root, peace is the flower grows out of it; it is pax in procella, such peace that no worldly affliction can shake. The doors of Solomon's temple were made of olive-tree, carved with open flowers, 1 Kings vi. 32. in a gracious heart is the olive of peace, and the open flowers of joy. We must not think to have grace as Israel had manna; they did not plough nor sow, but it was rained down from heaven upon them; no, we must operam dare,-take pains for grace. Our salvation cost Christ blood, it will cost us sweat. 4th Motive. The kingdom of grace enricheth the soul; a kingdom hath its riches. A believer is said to be rich in faith, James ii. 5. How rich is he who hath God for his God, who is heir to A. 2. Let us go to God to set all the promises! Heb. vi. 17. A up this kingdom of grace in our man may be rich in bills and hearts; God is called, "the God bonds; a believer, though he may|of all grace,” 1 Pet. v. 10. Say, say as Peter, "Silver and gold "Lord, I want this kingdom of have I none," Acts iii. 6., yet he grace,-I want an humble, beis rich in bills and bonds, he is lieving heart,-O enrich me with heir to all God's promises; and grace, let thy kingdom come!" to be heir to the promises, is And be importunate suitors. As better than to be heir to the Achsah said to her father Caleb, Josh. xv. 19., "Thou hast given crown. 5th Motive. When the king-me a south land, give me also dom of grace comes, it doth fix springs of water:" so, "Lord, and establish the heart, Ps. Ilvii. thou hast given me enough of the 7., O God, my heart is fixed !" world,—here is a south land,— Before the kingdom of grace but, Lord, give me the upper comes, the heart is very unfixed springs of grace, let thy kingand unsettled,-like a ship with- dom come.' What is the veniout a ballast,-like quick-silver son thou hast given me, without that cannot be made to fix; but the blessing ?" When we are when the kingdom of grace comes, importunate with God, and will it doth stabiliri animum, it fixeth take no denial, then he will set the heart upon God, and when up his kingdom within us. the heart is fixed, it rests quiet as in its centre. 6th Motive. This kingdom of grace is distinguishing; it is a sure pledge of God's love. God may give kingdoms in anger; but wherever the kingdom of grace is set up, it is in love; God cannot A. 3. Keep close to the word preached; the word preached is virga virtutis,—the rod of God's strength; it is the great engine God useth for the setting up the kingdom of grace in the heart, Rom. x. 17., "Faith comes by hearing." Though God could |